This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VILNIUS 000718
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/PPD, CA/VO, FSI/SPAS/CON, FRANKFURT
FOR RCO - BARBARA ARMSTRONG
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVISPRELKPAOLH
SUBJECT: VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: INAUGURAL MEETING OF CONSULAR
WORKING GROUP IN LITHUANIA
REFS: A. STATE 98032
Â¶B. STATE 67069
Â¶C. STATE 26010
Â¶D. VILNIUS 410
Â¶E. VILNIUS 276
Â¶F. VILNIUS 162
Â¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Embassy and MFA officials discussed next
steps to accomplish the items listed in Lithuania's roadmap
for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) at the inaugural meeting
of the Consular Working Group (CWG). We discussed
Lithuanian progress on meeting the requirements for sharing
lost/stolen passport information and briefed on Lithuania's
visa refusal and overstay rates, which all agreed was
Lithuania's largest obstacle to qualifying for VWP.
Lithuanian interlocutors offered us training on detecting
fraud in Lithuanian passports and reiterated their desire
to send officials on a Voluntary Visitor program to
Washington. We agreed to expand public outreach efforts on
visa issues, identifying several cooperative activities for
the near-term. We expect our CWG, as a working level
forum, to remain focused on addressing Roadmap issues in a
collegial, cooperative manner. END SUMMARY.
Â¶2. Participants:
Embassy Vilnius
Ruta D. Elvikis, Consul
Anthony A. Pahigian, Public Affairs Officer
Christian Yarnell, Vice Consul
Lithuania
Vaidotas Verba, Director of the Consular Department,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Petras Anusas, Deputy Director of the Consular Department
Rimgaudas Losys, Director of the Visas Division, Consular
Department
Marijus Petrusonis, Attache, Consular Department
Â¶3. The first official meeting of our CWG was held at the
Lithuanian MFA on June 29, 2005. The Lithuanian
interlocutors emphasized their desire to keep CWG meetings
on an informal level (refs D and F) and immediately got
down to business.
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Combating Passport Fraud
------------------------
Â¶4. (SBU) We raised the importance of improving reporting of
lost and stolen Lithuanian passports to the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), points recently added to
Lithuania's Roadmap using the language contained in State
Â¶111324. The MFA officials responded that Lithuania is now
reporting all such cases directly to Interpol, through
which, they thought, DHS should also receive the
information. They promised to confirm this. Should DHS
not be receiving the data in a timely manner, Verba said,
Lithuania would be happy to explore a different method of
transfer to DHS.
Â¶5. (SBU) Verba briefed the group on Lithuania's recent
discovery of cases of high-quality photo-substitution of
their new passports. He noted that the fraud is difficult
to detect with special training, which is now being
provided to Lithuanian consular officials. He offered to
help arrange a similar training session for our Embassy
employees. We gladly accepted the offer, and also
expressed our desire to help arrange future training by a
DHS fraud expert in Vilnius for Lithuanian border guard,
immigration and consular officials. We also invited MFA
officials to observe our visa interviews to improve their
understanding of U.S. immigration law as it is applied and
the current state of Lithuanian readiness for VWP, as well
as provide context for the MFA in handling complaints from
disgruntled visa applicants. Verba expressed interest in
this and promised to get back to us to make arrangements.
--------------------
VWP a Long-Term Goal
--------------------
Â¶6. (SBU) We briefed the group on Lithuania's refusal and
overstay rates, sharing the Lithuanian adjusted refusal
rates provided post by the Department. The CWG agreed that
the high refusal rate (42.9% in FY 2004) and corollary
overstay rate are the primary obstacles to Lithuanian VWP
accession. The Lithuanian interlocutors reiterated their
understanding that VWP accession would not occur overnight.
We affirmed our commitment to conduct a new validation
study using post-EU accession data and asked for the
Lithuanian officials' assistance in measuring the current
overstay rate. While they were uncertain about their
ability to help in measuring this rate, they reaffirmed
their willingness to publicly encourage Lithuanian citizens
to use their visas properly.
-------------------------------------
PD Efforts and Voluntary Visitor Trip
-------------------------------------
Â¶7. The CGW discussed possible public diplomacy efforts and
agreed on two joint PD projects that that could be
accomplished in the short term:
-- A joint radio interview to discuss the Visa Waiver, the
Roadmap, and other visa issues.
-- A consular "roadshow" with Embassy and MFA officials to
take the discussion on the Roadmap and other visa issues to
smaller towns across Lithuania. The first in a series of
such visits would be to a city with a history of producing
economic migrants.
Â¶8. Verba reiterated his desire to send two or three
Lithuanian officials on the Voluntary Visitor program being
planned by Embassy Warsaw as well as for discussions on
consular training and management practices. We requested
biographical information for the proposed VolVis
participants for submission to the Department.
-------------------------------------
Comment: A Productive, Informal Forum
-------------------------------------
Â¶9. (SBU) While visa waiver is an important long-term
objective for the GOL, its interest is tempered by a
realistic understanding by its consular team of the work
still to be done to qualify for participation. As a
result, the Roadmap process in Lithuania has thus far
avoided politicization. As long as it is not hijacked by
outside political actors, we expect the CWG to remain a
working-level group focused on visas and visa waiver. GOL
officials agree with this approach and are committed to
continuing the cooperation that has marked our bilateral
consular relationship for many years.
KELLY